Rotary cutter.



G. P. YOUMANS.

ROTARY bUTTER.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 30' I912.

Patented Feb. 29, 1916.

3 SHEET$SHEET I.

G. P. YOUMANS. ROTARY CUTTER. APPLICATION nuzn MAR. 30. 1912.

1,173,23Q Patented Feb. 29, 1916.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Tmi COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPZI co., \VASIHNGTON. n. c.

G. P. YOUMANS.

ROTARY CUTTER.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 30. 1912. 1,173,238. Patented Feb. 29,1916.

' 3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

Tm: COLUMBIA PLANDGRAPH C0" WASHINGTON. D. C

FATT @FFICE.

GEORGE P. YOUMANS, OF GALESBURG, MICHIGAN.

ROTARY CUTTER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 29, 1916.

Application filed March 30, 1912. Serial No. 687,500.

by me and I have illustrated them embodied in a rotary cutter adapted for the cutting of corn, ensilage, alfalfa and the like.

The main objects of this invention are,- First, to provide in a rotary cutter, an improved feed mechanism which is not likely to be clogged by careless feeding. Second, to provide in a rotary cutter an improved feed roller. Third, to provide in a rotary cutter an improved conveyer. Fourth, to provide in a rotary cutter an improved adjusting means for the cutter head and the shear or cutter bar.

Further objects, and objects relating to structural details, will definitely appear from the detailed description to follow.

I accomplish the objects of my invention by the devices and means described in the following specification. The invention is clearly defined and pointed out in the claims.

A structure which is a preferred embodiment of my invention is clearly illustrated in. the accompanying drawing, forming a part of this specification, in which:

Figure I is a front view of a structure embodying the features of my invention, the cutter head casing being shown open. Fig. II is an enlarged detail vertical section through the feed rollers and cutter bar or shear bar, taken on a line corresponding to line 22 of Fig. I. Fig. III is a detail perspective view with the cover of the cutter head casing removed, part of the knives being indicated by dotted lines so that the parts at the rear thereof are not obscured, the running gear being omitted. Fig. IV is an enlarged detail perspective view showing the adjusting means for the shear bar and the floating bearing for the top feed roller. Fig. V is a detail perspective view of the cutter bar. Fig. VI is an enlarged detail section taken on a line corresponding to line 6-6 of Fig. I, showing the cutter head shaft and adjusting means therefor. Fig. VII is a detail perspective showing one of the clips for securing the raddles to the conveyer chains.

In the drawing, similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the several views, and the sectional views are taken looking in the direction of the little arrows at the ends of the section lines.

Referring to the drawing, the machine is mounted on a suitable running gear frame 1 for convenience in transportation. The frame 2 is prov1ded with supporting brackets 3 resting on the longitudinal sills of the running gear frame. The cutter head casing 1 is mounted on the frame 2. As the structural details of the frame and the cutter head casing parts and their connections form no part of this invention, I do not de scribe the same herein.

The rotary cutter head 5 has a series of knives 6 mounted thereon to coact with the shear or cutter bar 7. These knives are preferably arranged as is shown in my Patent No. 902,636, of November 3, 1908, so as to secure a sheer action with the cutter bar. The shaft 8 of the cutter head is arranged in the bearing 9 carried by the outer wall of the casing 4. See Figs. III and VI. The driving pulley 10 is splined upon the shaft 8 to permit relative longitudinal movement. The inner end of the hub of the pulley bears against the outer end of the bearing 9 which is provided with a thrust bearing surface 11 therefor. The shaft is adjusted axially by means of the adjusting screw 12 threaded into the end of the shaft to engage the collar-like sleeve 13. See Fig. VI.

By adjusting the screw 12, the hub of the cutter head is drawn against the inner end of the shaft bearing 9 which is provided with a thrust bearing surface 14: for the hub of the cutter head and the hub of the pulley is drawn against the outer end of the hearing 9. This prevents axial movement of the cutter head shaft which is an essential feature in order to permit close adjustment of the cutter bar 7 relative to the knives without danger of their engaging.

The cutter bar 7 is supported for lateral adjustment by providing it with rearwardly and upwardly offset supporting arms 15 adapted to rest in the ledge-like supports 16 provided therefor on the frame 2. The arms 15 have transverse slots 17 therein for the clamping bolts 18. The arms are providedwith ears 19 through which the ad justable stop screws 20 are arranged. The

gage the forward edges of the arms 15 to clamp the stop screws 20 against the projecting portions 2% on the frame. See F ig.

IV. This provides means for the very accurate adjustment of the shear bar and means whereby it is securely held in its adjusted position.

In adjusting the machine, the screw 12 is adjusted to bring the hub of the cutter head into bearing engagement with the bearing 9 and the hub of the pulley 10 into engagement with the outer end of the bearing 9, thereby preventing longitudinal movement of the cutter head shaft. The cutter bar is then adjusted into proper relation with the knives U of the cutter head.

The bottom feed roller is supported in front of the cutter bar while the top feed roller 26 is supported above the feed roller 25. These feed rollers are provided with driving connections, not illustrated. The feed roller 25 is provided with a plurality of circumferential flanges 27 which engage the material fed to the cutter bar and serve to prevent lateral movement of the material as it is acted upon by the cutter knives. Owing to the shearing cut of the knives on the cutter bars, this means of supporting the material acted upon is a very desirable feature. A clearing bar 28 having fingers 29 projecting between the flanges 27, is interposed between the cutter bar 7 and the feed rollers. See Figs. II and III. The top feed roller is provided with rearwardly inclined teeth 30 which serve to advance the material and at the same time, owing to the form, do not pick up the material, but readily disengage therefrom as the roller revolves.

The bearings 31 for the shaft 32 of the top feed roller are supported for vertical movement, the frame having vertical slots 33 for the bearings. See Figs. III and IV. The hopper for the feed rollers comprises the fixed side walls 34 and a top wall 35 adapted to move vertically between the side walls 34. The top wall 35 of the hopper is formed integrally with the hood v36 for the top feed. roller (see Fig. II), and is mounted on the shaft bearings 31. The bearings 31 for the shaft 32 of the top feed roller are J normally supported by the shoulder-like rests 31.

A spring 37 is provided for carrying a part of the weight of wall 35, the hood and the feed roller when the feed roller is in its lower position,that is, the spring acts to lift the top feed roller upward so that as the feed roller is raised by the material passing between the rollers, the lifting pull of the spring is lessened. The spring is carried by a yoke 38 arranged on the frame above the feed rollers, the upper end of the spring being connected by the threaded rod 39 to the arm 40 on the yoke. .By adjusting the nuts 41 on the rods, the tension of the spring can be regulated so that the feed rollerhas the desired amount of feed pressure when the bearings 31 rest upon their supports. 7

The material is conveyed to the hopper by a conveyer consisting of the sprocket chains 42 having plate-like raddles 13 secured thereto. A portion, at least, of these raddles are provided with upturned flanges 4.1 at their forward edges to provide flights or teeth for the conveyer. These raddles are secured to links 45 of the chains 42 by means of clips 46, the clips being secured at the forward edges of the raddles so that when the links carrying the raddles pass over the sprocket wheel 47, the raddles are tilted with the links. See Fig. II. This swings the rear edges of the raddles up in front of the succeeding raddle and serves to clear the teeth or flights of the conveyer. The shaft 48 for the sprocket wheels 47 is connected by the sprocket chain 4-9 and the sprocket wheels 50 and 51 to the shaft of the lower feed roller. See Fig. III. By thus arranging the parts, I secure a positive feed and one which prevents in a large measure, clogging of the machine by care less feeding.

I have illustrated and described my improvements in the form in which I have embodied them in practice. I am aware that modification in structural details is possible. but as such modifications will, it is believed. be readily comprehended from the disclosures here made, by those skilled in the art to which this invention relates, I do not at tempt to illustrate .or describe the same herein.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a structure of the class described, the combination with the frame, of a bottom feed roll, a coacting topfeed roll, bearings for said top feed roll, said frame being provided with vertically slotted supports for said bearings permitting vertical movement of said top roll and with rests for supporting said top roll in its normal position, a hopper comprising side walls, a hood for the top roll mounted on the said bearings thereof and having an upwardly and rearwardly projecting top Wall for said hopper moving with said feed roller and its hood vertically between the side walls of said hopper, and a coiled spring connected to said hood to carry a part of the weight of said top roll and its connected parts when in their normal position on said rests, the lift of the spring being insufficient to raise the parts from the rests, the spring being supported so that as the roll is raised by the material passing between the rolls the lifting pull of the spring decreases, whereby the pressure of the top roll upon the material increases as the depth of the material passing between the rolls increases.

2. In a structure of the class described, the combination with the frame, of a bottom feed roll, a coacting top feed roll, bearings for said top feed roll, said frame being provided with vertically slotted supports for said bearing permitting vertical movement of said top roll and with rests for support ing said top roll in its normal position, a hopper comprising side walls, a top wall for said hopper moving with said feed roller, and a coiled spring connected to said hood to carry a part of the weight of said top roll and its connected parts when in their normal position on said rests, the lift of the spring being insuflicient to raise the parts from the rests, the spring being supported so that as the roll is raised by the material passing between the rolls the lifting pull of the spring decreases, whereby the pressure of the top roll upon the material increases as the depth of the material passing between the rolls increases.

3. In a structure of the class described, the combination with the frame, of a bottom feed roll, a coacting top feed roll supported for vertical movement, and a coiled spring connected to said hood to carry a part of the weight of said top roll and its connected parts when in their normal position on said rests, the lift of the spring being insuflicient to raise the parts from the rests, the spring being supported so that as the roll is raised by the material passing between the rolls the lifting pull of the spring decreases, whereby the pressure of the top roll upon the material increases as the depth of the material passing between the rolls increases.

l. In a structure of the class described,

Copies of comprising a cutter bar and a coacting cutter, in combination with a bottom feed roll arranged in front of and in close proximity to the cutter bar, said feed roll being provided with a plurality of annular A-shaped flanges disposed at right angles to the plane of the cutter bar, said flanges being of substantial depth and substantially spaced whereby they are adapted to receive the material to be out between them and support it against lateral sliding movement on the cutter bar as it is acted upon by the knives, and a top feed roll coacting to press the material to be out between the flanges of the bottom feed roll.

5. In a rotary cutter, the combination with the frame, of a cutter bar; a rotary head having knives arranged to coact with said cutter bar; a shaft therefor; a bearing for said shaft; a pulley arranged on the outer end of said shaft and longitudinally movable thereon, the inner end of the hub of the pulley being in bearing engagement with the end of said bearing; an adjusting screw at the outer end of said shaft; a collar arranged thereon between the outer end of the hub of the pulley and said nut; and means for adjusting said cutter bar relative to said cutter head.

6. In a rotary cutter, the combination with the frame, of a cutter bar; a rotary head having knives arranged to coact with said cutter bar; a shaft therefor, said head being fixed to said shaft; means for adjusting said shaft longitudinally; and means for adjusting said cutter bar laterally relative to said cutter head.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and seal in the presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE P. YOUMANS.

this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by'addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, 1). C. 

